Annotation:Through the Heather

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X:1 T:Through the Heather T:Switch Her through the Heather M:C L:1/8 R:Reel S:Rev. Luke Donnellan – “Oriel Songs and Dances", S:Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society (vol. II, No. 2, 1909; No. 73) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Emin F|EBBG FDAF|EBBG FD E2|EBBG FDAF|BA (3Bcd FD E2:|| Beed FDAF|Beed FD E2|Beed FDAF|BA (3Bcd FD E2| Beed FDAF|Beed FD E2|Beeg fdec|BA (3Bcd FD E2||



THROUGH THE HEATHER. AKA - "Switch Her through the Heather." Irish, Reel (cut time). E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. "Through the Heather" is contained in the music manuscript collection of curate and fiddler biography:Rev. Luke Donnellan (1878-1952), Oriel region, south Ulster[1]. The reel (as "Through the Heather") was included in the tune list of piper Philip Goodman (c. 1831-1908), Carrickmacross, Ireland, who is variously described as "the last professional and traditional piper in Farney, Louth", and also recorded as having been from Donaghmoyne, County Monaghan (all of which are places from the same area, and contiguous to Donnellan's Oriel region). Goodman brought his list to the Feis Ceoil in Belfast in 1898 (Breathnach, 1997).


Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Rev. Luke Donnellan music manuscript collection [O'Connor].

Printed sources : - Rev. Luke Donnellan, “Oriel Songs and Dances” (Journal of the County Louth Archeological Society, vol. II), No. 2, 1909; No. 83. O’Connor (The Rose in the Gap), 2018; No. 190, p. 99 (as "Switch Her through the Heather").






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  1. Donnellan researcher Gerry O'Connor came to believe the ms. is not the work of the curate but rather was originally compiled by an unknown but able fiddler over the course of a playing lifetime, probably in the late 19th century. The ms. later came into the possession of Donnellan, who was also a fiddler.